The present invention relates to an electronic thermometer for measuring a temperature on the basis of the resistance value of a temperature-sensitive resistance and, more particularily, to an electronic thermometer for detecting a temperature such as a body temperature on the basis of an oscillating frequency change, due to temperature change, of an oscillator to which a temperature-sensitive resistance is connected as a frequency determining element.
Generally, the temperature-sensitive resistance is used in the thermometer so as to measure a temperature on the basis of an oscillating frequency change of a CR oscillator to which the temperature-sensitive resistance is connected.
However, a temperature value corresponding to each of the oscillating frequencies must be previously stored into a memory. For example, for a clinical thermometer, the body temperature values from 35.0 degrees C. to 42.0 degrees C. are stored for display in response to the oscillating frequencies. It may be possible that the temperature values from 35.0 degrees C. to 42.0 degrees C. are stored in the memory in 0.1 degree C. intervals to a count of 80 intervals. In this case, the count number for each of the 80 intervals corresponds to one of a great number of the temperature values which may be displayed. When the temperature values from 35.0 degrees C. to 42.0 degrees C. are stored in the memory, the values from 35.0 degrees C. to 42.0 degrees C. are converted into binary coded decimal codes from 350 to 420, respectively. A high-order digit ("3" or "4") is expressed by a binary code "0" or "1" as one bit, and each of the lower two digits ("0"-"9") are expressed by binary codes of 4 bits. Accordingly, 9 bits of data are required to represent one of the temperature values, so that a memory capacity of 720(=9.times.80) bits is required for storing all the temperature values from 35.0 degrees C. to 42.0 degrees C. with 0.1 degree C. intervals. Further, because of the necessity for a high capacity memory, the thermometer is prevented from being miniaturized at a low-cost.